Superintendent Seeks Members for Grant Exploration Team

Letter from Valerie Henning­-Piedmonte, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools of Brewster Central School District

Dear Brewster Community,

This year, we are creating a Grant Exploration Team to identify funding sources that advance the goals outlined in our Strategic Coherence Plan. This plan articulates how we will prepare students for life, learning and work beyond the school district. During the development of the plan, the nineteen member Strategic Coherence Planning Team concluded that it is no longer enough for students to learn content knowledge without also acquiring skills for critical thinking, problem solving, communication/collaboration along with resilience, perseverance, adaptability/flexibility, and a sense of ethical/civic responsibility. All students, not just some, will need these skills to succeed in life, work and learning in this dynamic century.

While our budget maintains some of our programs, it cannot possibly support most of the transformational ideas that help us to develop ways for all students to engage authentically as innovators and creative problem solvers. This pursuit requires some additional resources. We want to be able to support teachers who are interested in transforming their classrooms into innovative learning spaces that look different from traditional classroom spaces with rows of desks or tables. These new learning spaces would have comfortable and adjustable furnishings such as elevated desks that allow students to stand and work while using portable devices. Some teachers are interested in creating innovative learning spaces where students design and make models using 3D printers. Other teachers may be interested in flipping their classrooms, which allows students to use classroom time to collaborate with others, conduct research, develop and apply their knowledge and skills to solve authentic problems. Some teachers want to introduce new STEAM courses in automation and robotics, computer science, engineering, biomedical science and design and modeling. These new courses will require teachers to attend summer institutes before they can teach the course.

The Grant Exploration Team will identify potential grants that support these endeavors. The team will meet once per month from 4:30pm­-5:30pm to discuss prospective grants offered by the United States Department of Education, the New York State Department of Education, business and corporate sponsors, philanthropies and others. Members of the team will be assigned to search various directories such as the Foundation Center directory and US Department of Education website and others for grants that are aligned to the 21st century skills identified in our Strategic Coherence Plan. The team will then decide which of these should be shared with the grant writer who will work with the district on an as needed basis.

If you would like to join this team, please email me at vhenning@brewsterschools.org. The first meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 28 from 4:30pm­-5:30pm in the district office building (30 Farm to Market Road). If you are not able to meet, but would like to share suggestions for prospective grants, please feel free to email me and I will share this information with the team. Thank you in advance for your interest in this effort to cultivate new funding sources for the district.

Warmest regards,

Valerie Henning­Piedmonte, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools